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134 in communication with Captain Willoughby of the Néréide, determined to attack him. On the 22nd, accordingly, both these frigates stood in; but they had scarcely arrived within a mile of the enemy's line when the Sirius grounded. The Néréide did not care to go on alone. The attempt therefore failed for the moment.

Meanwhile intelligence of the events occurring in the vicinity of Grand Port reached General Decäen. That able officer immediately despatched on board Duperré's squadron all the available seamen in the island. He ordered also the three frigates in Port Louis, the Astrée, La Manche, and the Vénus to proceed under the senior captain, Hamelin, to the aid of their sisters threatened in Grand Port.

But before Captain Hamelin could reach the scene of action the two English frigates had been reinforced by the Iphigenia and the Magicienne. As these approached the shoal on which the Sirius had struck the previous afternoon, but from which she had just then extricated herself, that vessel and her consort prepared to weigh anchor. But before deciding to renew his attack Captain Pym assembled on board the Sirius the captains of the three other ships and all the available pilots. The conference resulted in a resolution to proceed at once to the attack, the certain effect of which no one questioned for a moment.

Duperré had expected this attack; and he had pre-